The Mazda RX-8 is a sports car manufactured by the Mazda Motor Corporation. It first appeared in 2001 at the North American International Auto Show. It is the successor to the RX-7 and like its predecessors in the RX range it is powered by a Wankel rotary engine.

Recent Changes

The 2007 RX-8 remains largely unchanged from the previous model year, with the exception of two new exterior colors and the minor addition of certain standard interior features previously offered only as options.

To celebrate the Mazda Rotary engine's 40th Anniversary, on August 2007, Mazda launched the extremely limited edition RX-8 Rotary Engine 40th Anniversary. It is available exclusively in Marble White body color while the interior is covered in black leather and light silver Alcantara.

Styles and Major Options

In North America, the 2007 Mazda RX-8 comes in three trims: the Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring. All three are equipped with the same standard 1.3L 232hp rotary engine, 6-speed manual transmission, rear wheel drive, and sport suspension. Main differences between the trims consist of options upgrades. Some of the standout features include:

Gas Mileage

Reliability

According to Automotive Information Systems, the RX-8 has exhibited good long-term reliability. the 2004 model received an overall Green rating in every category, indicating only minimal problems.

Safety

In safety tests carried out by the NHTSA, the RX-8 performed well. Side-impact and driver's side front-impact crash tests yielded 4-Star ratings, while tests for rollover and passenger side front-impact earned the RX-8 5-Star marks. Some of the standard safety features on the RX-8 include:

Unique Attributes

The car features a pair of rear-hinged Clam Shell Doors in order to provide easier access to the rear seats. The RX-8 has no B-pillar between the front and rear doors, with the leading edge of the rear door acting as a 'virtual pillar' to maintain structural rigidity. Because of the overlapped design, the rear doors can only be opened when the front doors are open.

Criticisms

"I wasn't too impressed by the RX-8's styling, inside or out. Exterior styling has a lot of odd bulges here and there, including a couple on the roof." - MSN Autos

"The RX-8's rotary engine, with its occasional fuel consumption issues and short-at-the-bottom torque curve, may not be to your liking. The compact rotary engine delivers its torque high in the rpm band, meaning you have to run the revs high when passing or accelerating." - Kelley Blue Book

Current Generation: (2004–present)

The RX-8 was designed as a front mid-mounted, rear-wheel drive 2+2 coupé. The car has a 50/50 weight distribution, achieved by mounting the engine behind the front axle. Weight is trimmed through the use of materials such as aluminium and plastic for the body panels and a carbon composite for the driveshaft.

Powertrain

The RX-8 is powered by a 1.3 L naturally-aspiratedRENESIS rotary engine, which features newly designed side intake and exhaust ports. The engine is smaller and lighter than previous rotaries, primarily due to the lack of a turbocharger and associated parts.

The engine is designed in various configurations for different models, but in its most powerful setup develops 250 PS (247 hp, 184 kW) at 8,500 rpm with a redline at 9,000 rpm and fuel cut-off at 9,500 rpm. It won the International Engine of the Year and Best New Engine awards in 2003 and holds the "2.5 to 3 liter" size award for 2003 and 2004.

Shinka/Evolve

Mazda introduced a special Shinka edition to the U.S. market in 2005, and to the UK market in 2006 where it was branded as the Evolve. New features included Shinka badges on the B-pillar, new paint colours (Black Cherry Mica, Copper Red and Phantom Blue), re-styled mirrors, alcantara-trimmed leather seats, updated component materials, and enhanced chassis and suspension tuning. Power output remained unchanged from the standard models.

Hydrogen RE

At the 2004 North American International Auto Show, Mazda unveiled the RX-8 Hydrogen RE concept car, designed to run on either hydrogen or gasoline. In February 2006, Mazda revealed that it would start leasing a dual-fuel RX-8 to commercial customers in Japan, and in March 2006 announced its first two customers, claiming the first fleet deliveries of a dual hydrogen/gasoline production car.

Senku

The Senku is a prototype of the next rotary powered Mazda vehicle. Designed as a practical sports car for adults, it has a 2-piece hatchback, a single large sliding door on both sides, and a highly advanced direct-injected rotary engine with electric hybrid technology.

UK (May 2006)

Model

Estimated On the Road Vehicle Price

InsuranceGroup /Licence Band

CO2Emissions(g/km)

192 ps (141 kW), 5-Speed

£21,400

15E / G

267

231 ps (170 kW), 6-Speed

£22,900

16E / G

284

Worldwide

Design quirks and oddities

The car is used in the Formula Woman racing series which started in 2004. A slightly modified RX-8 was also featured in the 2003 film X2: X-Men United.

Awards

The RX-8 has won numerous awards including Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 2003. In 2004 it was nominated for the North American Car of the Year award. It was also named on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 2004, 2005, and 2006.